SAN CLEMENTE, T. Taylor: John Hamaker's letter would be outright laughable if it weren't so insulting [“The tyranny of religion,” Sept. 9]. Our nation's founding fathers did not keep church and state separate because “all big religions are inherently dictatorships.” They kept it separate so government couldn't dictate what religion they chose to follow. They wanted to keep the government out of their religion not the religion out of their government, which is why you find so many references to God and the benefits of religion in our founding father's writings.
No one in America is forced to follow a religion; millions do so willingly every day. The Bible is full of common sense teachings, which Hamaker shows he has none of when discussing abortion. I've had two children and there was no “horror of bearing children.” Christians and others are only trying to keep babies from being killed, a right every other person in America has under our Constitution, along with religious freedom. Other then rape, not one single woman gets pregnant unwillingly; free birth control is widely available. If they don't want the child they willingly made, there's a waiting list of families who will take the babies, hence no “burden on society.”
Your liberal convictions are no better or worse then my religious convictions, I don't keep you from having yours so stop insulting mine and trying to keep me from the freedom to practice it. On Dec. 25, I will be celebrating Jesus Christ's birth, why will you be accepting a paid day off from work?